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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. key — the most important part
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. file — a tool
  5. press — a publisher
  6. foot — a measure
  7. chip — for betting
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. current — of water
  10. current — electric
  11. current — happening now
  12. press — newspapers
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. chip — to eat
  15. file — a document
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. key — in music
  18. file — a line of people
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. capital — a city
  22. key — for a lock
  23. capital — money
  24. press — to push

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com